■ Diplomacy
Chen praises steak man
President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) yesterday received the owner of a Texan steak house where Chen had been treated by US Congressman Tom DeLay to a steak dinner in June 2001 when he was on a transit stop in Houston. Chen met with Edd Hendee, owner of the Houston-based steak restaurant Taste of Texas, at the Presidential Office and gave Hendee a scroll carrying Chen's praise of the restaurant written in eight Chinese characters meaning "Hendee's flavor, the taste of Texas." Chen told Hendee he had enjoyed his dinner and the superb steak was particularly unforgettable. Chen offered his congratulations to Hendee over the restaurant's long-term prosperity and said that Hendee's success is worthy of emulation by other restaurant operators.
■ Inauguration
May 19 bash in Kaohsiung
A large celebration will be held in Kaohsiung on the eve of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu's (呂秀蓮) inauguration on May 20. Kaohsiung Mayor Frank Hsieh (謝長廷), Kaohsiung County Deputy Commissioner Wu Yu-wen (吳裕文) and Acting Pingtung County Commissioner Wu Ying-wen (吳應文) have invited the public to attend the celebration to be held in downtown Kaohsiung. Chen and Lu will also attend the function and address supporters, Hsieh said, adding that the celebration will have a carnival atmosphere now that the presidential election and vote recount requested by the pan-blue alliance is nearly completed. The celebration, co-sponsored by the Government Information Office and the Kaohsiung City Government, has selected "Solidarity and a New Future" as its theme. Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the event.
■ Weather
Two systems being watched
Two new tropical low-pressure systems have developed in the open seas on the heels of medium-strength Typhoon Nida, which shifted to a northward direction over the weekend and spared Taiwan, the Central Weather Bureau reported yesterday. One of the systems has formed east of Vietnam, meteorologists said, adding that it has been moving slowly westward. They said the system may accelerate its westward movement over the following days. The other low-pressure system has formed southwest of Guam and it has been moving westward. They said that although it is still too early to confirm, this system is likely to develop into a typhoon. Nida is not expected to affect Thursday's inauguration ceremonies.
■ Diplomacy
Panamanian ties retained
Taiwan has maintained close relations with Panamanian president-elect Martin Torrijos Espino's Democratic Revolutionary Party, and will continue to strengthen cooperation with the new government in all areas, Ambassador David C. Y. Hu (胡正堯) said yesterday. Hu made the remarks in a recent interview with the newspaper La Estrella de Panama. China has repeatedly pressured Panama to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Hu noted that Taiwan and Panama have maintained solid relations for many years, and that Taiwan is hoping to continue to strengthen the relations with the new government. The newspaper reported that Hu was a key figure in the negotiation of a free trade agreement between Taiwan and Panama, and that he had brought about the visits of President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and Vice President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) to Panama.
GOOD DIPLOMACY: The KMT has maintained close contact with representative offices in Taiwan and had extended an invitation to Russia as well, the KMT said The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) would “appropriately handle” the fallout from an invitation it had extended to Russia’s representative to Taipei to attend its international banquet last month, KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday. US and EU representatives in Taiwan boycotted the event, and only later agreed to attend after the KMT rescinded its invitation to the Russian representative. The KMT has maintained long-term close contact with all representative offices and embassies in Taiwan, and had extended the invitation as a practice of good diplomacy, Chu said. “Some EU countries have expressed their opinions of Russia, and the KMT respects that,” he
CHANGES: After-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during vacations or after-school study periods must not be used to teach new material, the ministry said The Ministry of Education yesterday announced new rules that would ban giving tests to most elementary and junior-high school students during morning study and afternoon rest periods. The amendments to regulations governing public education at elementary schools and junior high schools are to be implemented on Aug. 1. The revised rules stipulate that schools are forbidden to use after-school tutoring periods, extracurricular activities during summer or winter vacation or after-school study periods to teach new course material. In addition, schools would be prohibited from giving tests or exams to students in grades one to eight during morning study and afternoon break periods, the
AMENDMENT: Contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau must be reported, and failure to comply could result in a prison sentence, the proposal stated The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) yesterday voted against a proposed bill by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers that would require elected officials to seek approval before visiting China. DPP Legislator Puma Shen’s (沈伯洋) proposed amendments to the Act Governing Relations Between the People of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (臺灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例), stipulate that contact with certain individuals in China, Hong Kong and Macau should be reported, while failure to comply would be punishable by prison sentences of up to three years, alongside a fine of NT$10 million (US$309,041). Fifty-six voted with the TPP in opposition
Advocates of the rights of motorcycle and scooter riders yesterday protested in front of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in Taipei, making three demands. They were joined by 30 passenger vehicles, which surrounded the ministry to make three demands related to traffic regulations — that motorcycles and scooters above 250cc be allowed on highways, that all motorcycles and scooters be allowed on inside lanes, and that driver and rider training programs be reformed. The ministry said that it has no plans to allow motorcycles on national highways for the time being, and said that motorcycles would be allowed on the inner